Instant Pot Chicken Cauliflower Rice Soup

Instant Pot chicken and cauliflower rice soup was amazing, and we have been eating leftovers all week long. Canned chicken soup is always so full of sodium and half the time you aren’t even sure if it’s real chicken in there. So homemade is our way to go!!
Here is a new recipe I made with my Instant Pot that was delicious!!!

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
5 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
2 celery sticks, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
2 bay leaves
1 TBSP thyme
Any vegetables of your choice (I used broccoli, chopped red pepper, and peas)
3 large frozen chicken breasts
6 cups low sodium chicken broth or stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
One package of frozen cauliflower rice (I get mine at Trader Joe's)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Set Instant Pot to Saute function.
2. Heat olive oil and onions until onions start to soften and become translucent, 2-3 minutes.
3. Add garlic, carrots and celery and saute for another minute.
4. Add frozen chicken to Instant Pot, followed by chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, 2 teaspoons of salt and several turns of freshly ground pepper.
5. Turn off Saute function, lock Instant Pot lid in place, make sure pressure valve is set to sealing and set Instant Pot to High Pressure for 20 minutes, via manual mode.
6. Instant Pot will take 15-20 minutes to come to pressure, then will countdown from 20 minutes.
7. After 20 minutes at high pressure, Instant Pot will beep and switch to keep warm mode.
8. Turn pressure release valve to Quick Release pressure.
9. Carefully open Instant Pot, keeping lid angled away from you to avoid very hot steam.
10. Remove chicken and set aside to shred.
11. Turn Instant Pot back to Saute function and let chicken broth come to a boil.
12. Shred the chicken.
13. Add frozen cauliflower to the soup.
14. Return shredded chicken to the pot.💓
15. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

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How to cook a whole frozen chicken in an Instant Pot

Let’s get real. Who has time to defrost? Even though I make a meal plan in advance, I always forget to defrost the meal I planned! And by the time I realize this, I have to come up with something for dinner at 4 pm.

That’s why I was so excited to meet the Instant Pot!! It allows me to think of something to make for dinner at 4:00 pm and have it on the table by 5:30…even if it’s a whole frozen chicken. Yes! It’s true. FROZEN TO COOKED! I know that’s hard to believe. But miracles do happen. I threw a 5 lb frozen chicken in the Instant Pot and it set the timer for 50 minutes. It took about 15 minutes to come to pressure and then I let the pressure come down for about 15 minutes before opening the pot. So about an hour and 20 minutes total time. The chicken was perfectly tender and we ate some of it plain that night with a salad and then saved the rest for wraps and sandwiches.

One thing I did notice was that I had to really work to get my 5 lb chicken to fit in my Instant Pot. It was placed on the trivet and I had to maneuver it around a bit. So next time I’ll probably choose a 4 lb chicken, which would actually take a few less minutes to cook, as well as fit better.

If you’re a fan of the crispy skin on a chicken then you’ll probably want to take the extra step of placing the chicken under the broiler after it cooks. I just stuck my chicken on a cookie sheet and put it under a broiler set on high for about 5 minutes. That way my sons and husband, who live for the skin, can be happy.To cook this frozen chicken I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1 for this recipe.

If you love getting those whole rotisserie chickens at your grocery store, you’ll love this recipe for pressure cooker whole seasoned chicken. The chicken is cooked in minutes in your Instant Pot (my chicken was actually totally frozen) and then stuck under the broiler to crisp up the skin. Slice the chicken up to eat plain or use it in any recipes that call for cooked chicken.

INGREDIENTS
1 whole chicken (mine was 5 lbs and fit just perfectly in my Instant Pot, so I wouldn't buy it any bigger).
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
4 Tbsp melted butter
1 TBSP dried rosemary
1 TBSP dried sage
1 TBSP dried thyme
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
1.  Remove packaging from frozen chicken. Run a little warm water over the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. (I didn't removed the packaged giblets and neck until after the chicken was cooked).
2. Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot and put the bay leaf in there too. Place the trivet in the bottom.
3. In a little bowl combine the butter, rosemary, sage, thyme, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Use your fingers to run this mixture all over the chicken. Place the chicken, breast side up, on the trivet.
4. Cover the Instant Pot and set the timer on manual for 50 minutes. Make sure valve is set to “sealing.” When the timer beeps let some of the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes and then switch the valve to “venting” and release the rest of the pressure.
5. When it is done cooking, use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the meatiest portion of the chicken. It should read 165° F. If it’s not up to temperature then you’ll want to cover the pot and cook on manual setting for 5-10 more minutes.
6. Optional: Place the chicken on a cookie sheet and put under the broiler for 5 minutes to crisp up the skin.
7. Slice chicken and serve. Season to taste. I save the leftovers to use in other recipes or make sandwiches and wraps with it.

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Top Ten Kitchen Gadgets I LOVE!

1. Avo Saver Avocado Holder - Prevent your avocados from browning! I eat half an avocado each day, so I want to make sure the half I'm saving is still good for the next day. The Avo Saver is an indispensible kitchen gadget for anyone who eats avocados. Even though avocados are such a culinary delight they are also quite expensive and have a short life, once cut. Save money, time and aggravation with this truly innovative gadget. The Avo Saver is easy to use and will reduce a cut avocado’s exposure to air, greatly slowing the destructive oxidization process. Unit is top-shelf, dishwasher safe.

2. Jaxx FitPak Meal Prep Bag - This bag is my favorite! It comes with six leakproof, portion control containers that fit perfectly into the insulated bag, an ice pack, AND a shaker cup! It's a great deal too. When I need to take several meals and snacks for my day, this bag is perfect.

3. Aerolatte Original HandHeld Milk Frother - This tool makes EASY cappuccinos....well, at least frothed milk to put on top of your coffee. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon, and it tastes as good as a coffeehouse in your own home!

4. Culina Mechanical Whisk (Hand Push Mixer) - GAH! I love this mixer. So easy to mix dressings, whipped cream (for special occasions) or anything else that needs a quick mix. Just push down. The kids love it too!

5. Vitamix Blender - The only blender I use for my Shakeology. Makes it as smooth as a milkshake. It crushes ice, and makes delish frozen drinks (for special occasions - ha!) and I also use it  to blend hot soups and sauces. Whenever I want to "hide" soup vegetables for my kids, I blend them up, then add pasta and chicken for a veggie chicken soup. They can't even tell I made it with onions and kale!!

6. Meal Prep Containers (3 Compartments) with Lids These are perfect when I need to prepare meals for the entire week. When I was working in an office from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, and prep all my meals on Sunday. I'd put a protein, veggie, and sweet potato or rice in each of the compartments, and just grab and go all week long.

7. KitchenAid Mezzaluna I love, love, love chopped salads. I bought this gadget, along with a large metal bowl. Veggies, protein, and dressing go in the bowl, I chop, chop, chop, and I get a perfect chopped salad, just like in a restaurant. It also chops garlic and herbs, and has a cover to protect the blade.

8. Stainless Steel Lemon Squeezer When drinking lemon water each morning, and throughout the day, I love this little squeezer. It gets all the juice out of the lemon and into my glass. I also love it for juicing lemons, limes, or oranges for sauces and dressings.

9. OXO Silicone Steamer, Green From the microwave to the stove, to my Instant Pot this Silicone Steamer makes steaming simple. High walls keep food from falling into boiling water and a large center makes the steamer perfect for fillets of fish and other large food items. The pleats on the Steamer make it flexible enough to fit into many different pot sizes. Silicone feet elevate and stabilize steamer over water and it won't scratch pots, making it perfect for both glass and non-stick cookware. I use it to steam the perfect hard boiled eggs. Flexible handles fold inward to accommodate pot lid and stay cool to the touch to safely and securely transport food.

10. Instant Pot This tool makes Sunday meal prep a breeze! Last Sunday I made 3 meals in 2 hours!! It's a smart electric pressure cooker designed to be safe, convenient and dependable. It speeds up cooking by 2~6 times using up to 70% less energy and, above all, produces nutritious healthy food in a convenient and consistent fashion. Instant Pot Duo is a 7-in-1 programmable cooker, it replaces 7 kitchen appliances as it has the functions of a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté, yogurt maker & warmer. It generates almost no noise and leaks no steam. It traps all the aromas in the food without heating up the kitchen. The best part? If I forget to defrost chicken, meat or fish for dinner, I just put it all in the pot, set it for 20 minutes, and dinner is ready!

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